Wrench having leaf spring jaw



Oct. 13, 1953 H. MURPHY 2,655,065

WRENCH HAVING LEAF SPRING JAW Filed Feb. 2, 1951 Patented Oct. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRENCH HAVING LEAF SPRING J AW Hugh Murphy, Lambertville, N. J.

Application February 2, 1951, Serial No. 209,080

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to wrenches and in particular to one of the flat, open ended type.

In many machines and other structures there are nuts and fittings that are so located that they are not readily accessible and cannot be adjusted with a regular adjustable jaw type wrench and require that a worker make a turn, remove the wrench and repeat the process until the nut or fitting is tightened or loosened even where fiat open ended wrenches are employed. This practice is tedious, requires extra time and adds to the expense of the adjustment.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a wrench that can be used for tightening or loosening a nut or fitting without disengaging the wrench from the nut or fitting after every part turn.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a fiat open ended type wrench a, structure which permits of a ratcheting action of the wrench without using the usual pawl and ratchet combinations which are bulky and unfitted for use with a fiat type wrench which is to be kept at a minimum thickness.

Still further objects of the invention are to provide an open end type wrench having jaws of yieldable form which may be replaced, will provide a ratchet action and permit the wrench to be readily and quickly placed over a nut or fitting without prior adjustment or manipulation; and to provide a wrench having the foregoing features of novelty and construction which can be made at minimum cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises certain construction hereinafter described and then particularly pointed out in the claims and a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a wrench constructed in accordance with my invention and illustrating the mounting of the spring members,

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the relative position of the spring jaws and the location of a nut engaged thereby, and

Figure 3 is a plan view of the wrench having a somewhat modified showing of the spring jaws and illustrating the principle of operation diagrammatically, and

Figure 4 is a plan view of a wrench having one spring jaw.

Referring to the drawing in detail indicates a solid wrench body having a handle shank ll of any suitable shape or length formed at the working end thereof to provide a head l2 having an integral aduncous arm l3 and a coplanar nub [4 formed at the opposite sides of said head. The forward edge of said head 12 is shaped to provide faces I5 and 16 disposed relatively to each other at a hexagonal angle to conform to the two faces of a hexagon nut. The arm l3 terminates in a shoulder I! which is slotted as at [8 to receive and hold a flat spring strip IS. The shoulder Il may serve as means for retaining the nut and wrench in working relation. The head [2 adjacent the nub I4 is also slotted as at 20 to retain a fiat spring strip 2| in parallel relation to said spring strip IS. The springs l9 and 2| form with the faces l5 and i6 three hexagonal angles to provide four seats for respective faces of a hexagon nut 25 or similarly shaped portion of a fitting. The use of a hexagon shape is merely for illustration as it is evident that the wrench may be shaped to fit any nut or fitting of conventional form.

While the wrench illustrated in Figure 1 shows the inner wall 22 of the arm I3 to be curved to provide a space 23 in which the spring strip [9 may have room for yieldable flexing movement. the inner wall 30 of arm 3| in the form of wrench shown in Figure 3 is straight and the arm 3! where it joins the head 33 is recessed as at 34 to allow flexing movement of the free end of the spring 35. This spring, like its counterpart 36 at the opposite side of the head may be curved outwardly at the end as at 31 and bowed intermediate its ends as at 38. The ends 39 of both springs, secured respectively in the nub end 40 of the arm 3! and in the nub 4| of the wrench body are straight for flat engagement with part of each adjacent face of a nut.

The wrench can be readily slipped in place, in endwise direction, over the sides of a nut due to the yielding action of the springs and will be seated as indicated diagrammatically in Figure 3. In the latter figure by way of example the are ob is equal to fifty-five degrees and are be is equal to five degrees. Along the curves of the spring the turning force in counterclockwise direction from a to U is constant. From a to b the spring will be deflected to allow the wrench to move in counterclockwise direction. The turning force in clockwise or work direction from b to c: is eleven times the turning force from a to b so that the retract or ratchet action in counterclockwise direction will require one eleventh the force that will be exerted by the action of the 12-0 portions of the springs on the faces of the nut in working action.

It will be evident that the clockwise action work. Having no moving parts the tool will" not need servicing attention, can beymade. atzaw minimum cost, can be used in extremely close quarters and can be slipped endwise'overthe' work in practically any angleitmbeiselfz-seatinzi on the nut. In this manner the operator need not pay attention to the relative positions'of the nut and wrench asa'the latter, due to the yield: of :itsgspringsewilli beiproperlyself-seating Only one.:spring .jaw 45 .mayzbeusedwith 1a solid. jaw. 4 fi'formed integrally. with the. handle to;pre-. sent; anut face 4.11 and; aplearance; opening. 481

My invention .is: not. togbe restricted 5130 :the precise details: ofisconstruetion: shown: since variouschanges and modificationsimay be made therein without-.- departingwfromvthe 1 scope of: theinven-- tion: or sacrificing ::the;advantages .to be: derived from; its 1156.5.

What: I? claim; is: 1

1; A.-wrench-'comprising a handle havingan endshapeda to .present:..contiguoushexagon angled; faces; and! anuarm'. portion, spring stripsspaceditolengage opposite sides of a nut, means for: mounting: said 2 strips ion said i end paralle'l relation with each other. anduat ahe'xagon' angle to. ..an-..adjacent-. face ofisaid' end, the fixed ends of: the springsrbeingdisposed diagonally, and 1 a projection. on said arm; portion opposing the contiguous faces of said end.

2; An open end wrench-comprising a handle terminatingin a wrench end portion and parallel spring strips.extending from" said end portion. for. engagement :withthe opposite parallel faces v of a nut or 'the like the outer and innerends-of each espringz. strip.:..being.. yieldable and substantially non-yieldable; respectively, to provide-re-- spectiveratchet and-.non-ratchet: movement of thewrench witharespectito. the nut when the handle is. swunggirr opposite. directions and: the freeends of-jsaidspringsbeing bowed to overlie the edges ofa.,nut heldT-therebetween tosyieldably retaingthe ,latterz-inzplace.

3. A wrench comprising alhandle terminating in an end portionrshaped; to present contiguous hexagon angled faces, .anzarmonr'said end por tion, a spring strip:flxed in said endportion, a spring strip fixed :iin'saicl arm, said strips :beingr parallel and. providing. with said 'faces." a: four sided=:seat for ahutch-the like; and the @fixed ends ofsaid springs adjacent the end portion and the. arm; beingrdiagonally opposite each other and tconstituting torqueapplying: mem bersqwhenthe. :wrench vis turned-in one 1 direction 4. Anopen end wrenchncomprisin a handlehaving-ar-headsportion;.anarm on said head portion, a leaf spring-strip. secured-xinrthe. head por 4 tion and extending in spaced parallel relation to said arm and bein adapted to yield at its outer end for ratcheting movement of the wrench in one direction over a nut and the edge of said head being shaped to coincide with the faces of the nut to be turned and to coact with the inner end of said spring to apply a turning force to said nut when the wrench moves in the opposite directionsand the: outer: end,:of:i said: leaf: spring being bowed" to overlie the edge of"a" nut to retain the latter in place in the wrench.

5. A wrench comprisin a handle having an end;portion,-.antarm extending from one side of said end portion, parallel strip springs secured in said -arm and in said end portion, the fixed endsofthe; springs being disposed diagonally opposite each other, said end portion being shaped-.to provide faces substantially contiguous with said springs to fit about the sides of a memheri-to.--be-turned,.anda projection on. said arm for retainingthe. member to,be turned in operative; relation with. said faces.

KA -wrench comprising a head having aforwardtedge; shaped to-fit about two contiguous faces-of a-nut,. an .arm extending from said:head and recessed -at.-its, junction with said. head,

parallel strip springs mountedhinthe-arm and in.-the head for.- engagement. withppposite faces.

ofwthe nut,-.the fixed endsof thesprings being,

diagonally. opposite each other, the springs; ade jacent their fixed ends; in: workmovement of the wrench, constituting. nut. turningmeans and beyondsaiclmounting ends yielding with respect to said .nut vto movement- .of thewrench in .oppositedirection andthe free ends of said springsrbeing,

bowed to overlie the edges of a nut held therebe-- tween to ,yieldably, retain the latter in place.

7. .Amopemend wrench comprising a handle tei'lninating;in an endportion shapedto provide an;.integral nut. engaging jaw member and a plurality-of .nut engaging faces,: the .j aw member.

being recessed :at :its junction with one ofsaid faces, a spring strip secured atone endin said. end portion and extending .therefrom in spaced parallel relationto said jaw member. for engagement withthe. face. of a nut oppositerthe facethereof engaged by said-integral jaw memher, and. said springheing. bowed at its free end tooyerliethe edge ofanut to yieldably retain the latter, in. the. wrench.

. HUGH MURPHY.

, References Cited .in v.the. file .of. this patent.

UNITED'STATES, PATENTS Number- Name Date- 786,687 Chandler Aug. 18, 1903 749,134" Hyman".- Jan: 5; 1904 1,437,458 Walden Dec.'5; 1922 1,464,128 Coes- Aug. 7; 1923 23192576 James Dec. 27, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date;

404 5431. GreatEritain Jan.:18, 1934 591,574. France. Apr. 14; 1925 628,773 France ..J.uly 5;:1927 

